1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fence post assembly particularly adapted for, but not limited to, use in agricultural applications.
2. Prior Art
Fence posts for agricultural applications are commonly made of steel and are usually supplied with an anchor plate secured at the lower end thereof. Common fence posts are generally "T" sectioned, and the anchor plate is generally flat and is secured against aligned flanges of the post so as to be parallel to the aligned flanges. When the post is driven into soil, area of the anchor plate bearing against the soil is considerably greater than area of the aligned flanges and thus the plate increases resistance to lateral movement of the lower end of the post through the soil. The flat anchor plate offers considerable resistance only to lateral forces applied to the post generally normally to the plate, and if the lateral forces are disposed obliquely at a shallow angle to the plate, or parallel to the plate, the plate offers little or no increase in resistance over a post without an anchor plate. Because the flat anchor plate provides resistance to lateral movement only in a fairly limited range of angles, it is limited in its application and such anchor plates are not acceptable to all farmers.
"Y" sectioned fence posts are also known, but these are normally supplied with a flat anchor plate also and suffer from similar limitations relating to oblique lateral forces on the plate. Commonly there are difficulties in securing a flat anchor plate to a "Y" sectioned post, which results in a relatively costly fence post assembly.